Talion

There are two types of stories in video games. The first is the one that the developer wants to tell you. It unfolds just like a movie, taking you down a path that the team intended. It’s David Cage’s approach with his Quantic Dream projects. The second sort of story is more personal: It’s the one you create on your own. It’s the surreal happenstance that comes from driving around Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V or tossing a knife at the end of a Call of Duty match. It’s the anecdote you recall when you’re sitting with friends.

Developers have experimented with these types of narratives for the past few years, creating branching story arcs or ones that are more open ended. But Monolith Productions is doing something different. The studio known for F.E.A.R. and No One Lives Forever has created a new avenue of storytelling with its Nemesis System in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Put succinctly, the team allows you to forge your own procedurally generated story. Director of design Michael de Plater explained the concept at a recent event in San Francisco. He described the setup: You take on the role of Talion, a Gondor ranger guarding the Black Gate at the edge of Mordor. It’s a place that’s been quiet for years until Sauron returns and kills Talion and everyone living in the area.

But through a twist of fate, the ranger is revived with Wraith-like powers. Now, he’s out for revenge against the evil that Frodo and the fellowship eventually fight off in The Lord of the Rings.